It’s hard to look at Pinterest and not yearn for extravagant and luxurious bouquets of flowers. But unfortunately, most of us don’t have an influencer’s budget to afford curated floral displays.

But there are easy ways to elevate ordinary flowers to extraordinary: some don’t even cost a cent.

One of my favorite art instructors said that an artist is just someone that looks at the world a little differently. They see things that others don’t. Luckily that is a learned skill that anyone can master if they just take a little extra time to really look at something and see the possibilities.

Most expensive bouquets are not expensive to make. They just combine unusual elements. You are paying for someone’s creativity and imagination. But you can get creative on your own if you like.

Here are some simple and inexpensive (and even free) ideas how to make cheap flowers look expensive and elevate your next bouquet from ordinary to extraordinary.

Add Foliage

Adding green foliage (leaves) to a bouquet of cut flowers is a great way how to make cheap flowers look expensive without spending a lot of money. Lush green foliage can help give the bouquet a fuller look and will also help keep the flowers hydrated for longer. Try adding greenery like eucalyptus, ferns, or baby’s breath to your bouquet for a beautiful look. The picture below is mostly chrysanthemums with gypsophila and eucalyptus.  To elevate the arrangement further, it was wrapped in two different colors of tissue paper!

Adding large green leaves to ordinary flowers is a great technique. It’s all about contrasting the scale of the flowers with larger leaves that makes this look unique.

If you want to add a bit of extra sparkle to your bouquet, you can also add some glittery accents. This will make the bouquet look more festive and eye–catching. You can use anything from glittery ribbons to sequins or even sprigs of dried flowers.

Elements can come from the dollar store or hobby shops. My favorite source of accents is the bargain shelfs in TJ Maxx. It’s not really about where you get things, it’s about looking at things with an eye for repurposing. Simply being on the lookout for something can make something appear (it’s my version of the law of attraction for flowers).

The example above with a simple dollar store chalk board tied to a mason jar is suddenly a “shabby chic” elevated arrangement that started with a simple bouquet.

It does not have to be complex. To make your bouquet look more professional, you can add something as simple and inexpensive as a few extra sprigs of baby‘s breath or gypsophila. This will give the bouquet a fuller look and will also help the flowers stay fresh longer.

You don’t even have to buy anything. If you have a garden, taking leaves or branches from a larger plant and adding to a bouquet can easily take your flowers to another level. For example, you can add some ferns, eucalyptus, or even some pinecones to your bouquet to give it a unique look. These elements will also help the bouquet stay looking fresh for longer.

In fact, adding natural elements from your yard, of from a park while you are out for a walk can elevate your bouquet from ordinary to extraordinary. Now I’m NOT advocating for tearing branches from public parks but “found” twigs or leaves off the ground can make amazing no cost accents —  just be respectful and only repurpose something that obviously being saved being waste.

Another way to extend your flower budget is to combine older flowers with newer ones.

I’ve done this on several occasions where foliage from one bouquet has outlived the flowers and I didn’t want to just throw it away. Here the purple flowers were dry and could easily be combined with the new roses to create a much more expensive looking bouquet. 

Repurpose Old Flowers

It’s a great way to repurpose flowers!

Additionally, I’ve also dried flowers from one bouquet to be used as accents later.

It really depends on your goals. Sometimes I try to get flowers to last as long as possible but other times I’ll set them off to try the minute they show stress.

How do you decide? For me it comes down to timing. If my flowers fade too quickly it is usually a function of buying older flowers to begin with.

Most flowers travel long distances to get to the retailer and there is no “purchase by” date on flowers (wouldn’t that be great!), so we’ve all gotten flowers that disappoint. If your flowers fade in 24-48 hours after bringing them home, those flowers were probably old when you bought them.

So, what should you do? Well, I have taken them back to the store. I’ve never had them say would not refund me when I bring a receipt showing how fast they faded. But the key here will be to take them back as soon as possible so it is obvious you are making a reasonable (and not a Karen) request. But sometimes taking them back is just too far, too inconvenient, or too mentally exhausting, so I’ll just dry them and use them as accents later. Only you can decide how to handle this one.

Add a Decorative Wrap

Adding a decorative wrap to a bouquet is another great way to make it look more luxurious and professional. A simple ribbon wrap or burlap wrap can instantly make a bouquet look more expensive and will help keep it together.

So don’t be afraid to get creative with your bouquets and add some foliage and decorative touches to make them look luxurious and beautiful. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to have amazing and unique flower arrangements every day.